Thursday, January 24, 2013

A White Oak branch felled by lightning on a Full Moon night inspired the creation of a small series of Native or Druid style wands years ago. This handmade 13" wand is accented with a genuine horse hair tassel to represent the spiritual journey and guide a path. It is topped with a deep purple natural amethyst crystal for the magic of sleep and dreams. Powerful energy of the spiral also comes into play through the coiled wire, and wood burned accents call to the Four Quarters or Four Directions.

The oak wood had been carefully hand polished for a pleasant feel and attractive look. No power tools were used except for the pyrography burning tool; all work was done by hand. The entire piece took three months to craft overall. This wand is no longer available.

1. Felled branches were gathered.
2. Branches were cut into lengths and cleaned of bark and small out branches. Cleaning was done with a ceremonial bowline knife that is only used for ritual crafting.
3. The new "naked" wands were spread out on a tray and low temp baked in an old oven to remove bacteria; sterilize.
4. This individual wand was then smoothed down with various grades of sandpaper to remove the chip carving feel of the de-barking process.
5. After examining the wand, inspiration and Spirit took over. A gem stone crystal that matches the form of the end of the wood was selected. It needs to not only fit the physical shape but also the spiritual function of the piece.
6. The wood was carved out by hand using eye measurement to allow the stone to fit as tightly as possible.
7. Once the shapes were right a small amount of very strong glue was added before the pieces were joined together. Making sure the fit is tight, the piece was allowed to dry.
8. After several days drying the glue I swelled the wood around the crystal. Small amounts of water were carefully allowed to soak into the grain of the wood, causing it to swell. I checked the stone to test tightness and go on to another drying. The wand was again baked at a low temp to remove the moisture I added. This causes the wood grains to tighten up more than before; like tempering.
9. The next step was to add decorations with the wood burner and finish off the surface of the wood. Instead of sandpaper this time the wood was smoothed with various pieces of natural sandstone rock.
10. The horse hair tassel was then added. The hair was gathered and secured with a hand weaving, then tacked in place with a small amount of the same strong glue.
11. The piece was varnished with environmentally friendly varnish.
12. At the next Full Moon after varnishing the wire accent was added during a welcoming ceremony.
13. Step thirteen, sacred number to the Goddess, was for the wand to find it's home.

Handmade Wooden Wands

Welcome! The wood that I craft my wands from is always ethically gathered, such as those that the wind has brought down or that come from general yard maintenance; no trees are ever harmed for harvesting. I do not use power tools; all of the work is done by hand. I only use branches and twigs that are free of disease, and not previously "dead", so that the wood remains strong. Because they come from Nature no two of my handmade wands can ever be the same. All of the spiritual ritual tools that I craft are worked on in a positive environment with a ritual mind-set using the highest quality materials possible for heirloom quality authenticity.

What's A Wand

Choose a wand based upon the feelings inside you; it can be a tool, a partner, and a friend. A magick wand is typically made of wood and is a stick usually no longer than 24" inches. A "stave" is a word used to describe a wand blank -- one that hasn't been crafted yet. In its most basic sense a wand is used to direct energy raised during ceremonial magick and religious ritual. Though usually one continuous piece of wood, wands are crafted from many different types of materials and have different parts.

The tip that points energy out of a wand -- sometimes capped with a crystal -- is the projection end; when directed with intent it projects the energy outward. The other end that is gripped like a handle is known as the pommel. Sometimes the pommel may be capped with a crystal or gemstone too, but the purpose is to hold energy until released by the wielder of the wand. Some wands may have a core of special ingredients or a wrap of copper wire to aide in conducting energy. Wands can be used for many different purposes, and indeed a person might choose to own several, such as having one for healing ceremonies and another for general Circle casting or wands that correspond to holidays. Wands that are not used on a regular basis should be stored in such a way as to protect them from not only dust and debris but also from any ambient energy influences.

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"You can imagine my enthusiasm for such a unique and beautiful item. It will travel with me to Peru for several Ayahuasca ceremonies. Then to Costa Rica for a healing ceremony. Several patients will be part of a gratitude ceremony with your wand gently touching a giant stone altar. All good medicine!"